Janina a la Maison

Adventures in Pottery

2015-10-18T23:06:00.003-07:00

The process of making pottery is not for the faint hearted. It requires thick skin, patience, and a steady hand. I am now in my 4th pottery class. The first was primarily hand-building, the second course was an intermediate class where some of my first wheel-thrown pots were made(I don't think I've kept any of those-as they were pretty bad). The third class was a "second" intermediate course that allowed me to hone in on some of the basic throwing principles and the fourth session was an amazing collaboration of mix-media print on pottery. Here are a few photos of some of the projects.

Stencils with stroke and coat wonderglaze.

Bisque fired stencils.

Lino cut with stroke and coat wonderglaze

Ready for bisque

My favorite mug. Needle sketch and colored slip.

Lanterns.

Cantarito set

Lantern

Double handle jug

Happy glazing!

Working with Cement

2015-02-24T16:43:00.001-08:00

The past few weeks have been trying times for this gal. I've been working on my latest piece; confined. This has proven to be more difficult than originally planned but anything worth having typically is.

We begin with an oblong steel sphere from last semester and vow to reinstate it to its glory. Thats what the plan is anyway.

How to go about the next stage? Conceptually, I planned to evoke the feeling of confined space. We've all felt it, some of us may be feeling that way right now. Ok. So how do we show this? Lets put a body in the sphere. Got it. Bending metal is no easy feat, in fact It took an entire day to bend the frame that would take the shape of the head, shoulders and feet.

Measuring is another daunting task as there are so many factors involved e.g., the thickness of the metal saw, grinding down metal after the fact, balancing the sculpture to avoid slight angles that may throw you off by eighths of a fraction, and lastly the heat from the weld itself. Phew!

The most tedious part of the entire sculpture has to be the frame wiring. I have the cuts on my fingers to prove it.

-overhead view-

The best part of the sculpture for me is right around the corner, finally an area in which to apply my cake skills...the application of cement and plaster!

Here is a full body pic... gotta love those gaucho pants.

As I continue to add the cement, I notice my little guy is missing arms(something I'll have to tackle after he is completely covered in cement.

almost completely covered in cement

Nearly there... another thing to note is that, I will be adding an additional ring over the top of the sphere, in an effort to create a more confined feeling.

I can see it all taking shape now. Thanks for listening.

Bon nuit

**Currently on display** :)

Summer Photos

2014-10-29T15:57:00.002-07:00

Bern, Switzerland

Thun, Switzerland

#ChicanoCulture Series

2014-05-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday all. I thought I'd share some painting's I've been working called "#Chicano Roots". Enjoy!

#pocha

#chola

#nopal

Sculpture for the Garden

2014-05-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Intermediate sculpture has to be one of the best things to happen to me in a long time.

That's not to say that it's always smooth sailing and things always work out. Take a look at the big sphere, you can see where the rounds are not touching each other. Not to worry…part of being an artist is figuring out ways to make mistakes work for you. I'll end up stacking these so it won't be noticeable in the end.

I'm MIG welding steel rounds and flats creating 3 spheres total, then welding those together.

3 spheres done!

Now its time to make a base out of sheets of metal. I don't have a photo of the sheet but here are the circles i've cut out with the plasma cutter(one of my favorite tools btw).

Now its time to grind down the jagged edges with a hand-grinder.

Heres is a closer look at some of my welds. Not the prettiest welds but I will continue to work on them.

Here is another look at the final product. Thanks for looking!

<3 Janina

Lately

2014-01-29T14:51:00.000-08:00

I've been up to my eyeballs in projects and deadlines lately, there hardly isn't anytime to breathe let alone post anything. Fortunately, mother nature has provided a small reprieve for this gal by way of an icy snow storm.

That means I get to catch up on laundry, sleep, and homework. Yay me! Here are some things I've been working on…

Wooden blocks, on blocks, on Blocks

(Wooden blocks strung through 17 gauge wire, spray painted black and copper foil accents)

Deer…No MooseHead Abstract

(Steel mesh form, insulation filled, on wood panel, covered in spanish moss)

The Everything Pancake; A clean version of "McDonalds' Mcgriddle"

2013-08-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1 tbsp brown rice flour

1 tbsp of greek yogurt

16 drops stevia

1 tsp baking powder

2 egg whites

1/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk

*Mix ingredients in blender.

Pour batter in pan and add diced turkey sausage.

(do not over cook the pancakes if you want a fluffy texture otherwise you'll have something resembling the consistency of cornbread)

add maple syrup...

Top with poached egg.

(Boil water in a pot and drop a raw egg in there like it's hot. Just kidding, be gentle. Once the egg transforms from translucent to opaque, give it another minute or so before taking it out. This step should take about 4 mins. total. Set on a napkin to dry.)

add more maple syrup.

...devour.

Summer Patio Redo

2013-06-21T18:01:00.001-07:00

Are you ready for summer yet? If you are like me you probably won't be ready for a while because you have piled on school, work, a few DIY projects and oh yea, another move! Ce'st la vie, no? Well, in preparation for my move, I've got a few projects to get done post-haste, since I won't have a garage or a yard to work out of. So without further ado, I bring you the before pics of my very ugly, old, patio set(can't even call it furniture).

As you can see I've attempted a "redo" before...but could never decide on a color until now.

...and the rosemary bushes...they are coming with.

Here is where a yard comes in handy.

Que creen? 4- cans of white spray paint, less than 1/2 a can of yellow spray paint, a couple of striped pillows from "HomeGoods" and there you have it, just in time for summer and right before the move.

Voila!! Que bonito, no? :)

2fer

2013-04-22T13:20:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love 2 for 1 deals? Well if you are like me the answer is a resounding YES! So what do you get? Mango salsa and shrimp ceviche! Sound good? Ok, good... let's do this.

Mango Salsa

1-2 mangos cubed

1-3 Jalepenos (your preference

1-bunch of cilantro

1-whole lemon

1/2 a smal to medium sized purple onion

2-tablespoons of EVOO

3-tablespoons of orange juice

Salt to taste

Mason Jars are an excellent way of keeping your salsa fresh for at least a week-never lasts longer than that in my house. :) This stuff is amazing on chicken, fish, with chips and in tacos. Maybe even a savory turkey meatloaf? Huh... something new to try.

Shrimp Ceviche

For the ceviche:

1-2 lbs. of shrimp(depending on how many people you are serving)

1/2 of your mango salsa base(If you are skipping the salsa and opting for just the ceviche-you can skip the olive oil and orange juice)

2- persian cucumbers(you can use any kind of cucumber- I just really like the persian because they have less water than American)

1-medium sized tomato

Et Voila!

(without shrimp)

(with shrimp)

I only add hot sauce to my shrimp ceviche because I hardly use jalapenos if any since my daughter is such a spicy lightweight--she needs to eat too, I guess. :)

Bon appetit y hasta luego!

In The Kitchen via Instagram

2013-03-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already, come check out what I've been cooking up in the kitchen via IG.

Let me know if you're on there too so I can stop by and visit. :) Happy Thursday all!

Chicken avec mushroom and onions in wine sauce and crispy kale chips.

Chicken with homemade enchilada sauce over saffron quinoa.

Oatmeal pancakes topped with blue berry balsamic reduction, macerated strawberries and a yogurt honey drizzle.

Chocolate oatmeal and pumpkin brownies with frosting and icing!

Spinach salad with balsamic dressing, strawberries and blood oranges.

Ciao!

Painters Table

2013-03-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

As the months and years go by, after yet another move to a new home, sometimes things get a little beat up and you wonder whether or not its time to let them go. Maybe your needs have changed or you've just outgrown a certain style. Whatever the case may be, I wouldn't give up on pieces with good bones.

Here we have exhibit A: victim of storage scraps and mover dings. Not to worry, I have new plans for this little guy. I'll I need is a:

drill gun

casters

a block of wood

glass(home depot will custom cut)

wire

screws

nails

and

spray paint

Once you've drilled the holes to fit each paint brush on the wood block drill the holes for the caster's, then turn the table upside down and attach a wood screw through the table and into the wood block with the holes in it, that way it doesn't move on you when grabbing your brushes. Turn right side up and spray paint the whole thing. Allow to dry and affix your glass top last, you can secure with a little caulking if you have any gaps or are afraid of getting paint underneath the glass. Oh, finally, instead of using a dowel rod as a napkin holder I just nailed 2 tiny nails, ran some small gauge wire and tied the ends to each nail. This keeps the napkins off the storage area and rolls just fine.

There you have it, a rolling painters table!

Beats the ultra fancy stuff you find on-line or in expensive art stores. Like this one:

#Terrariums and Mini Gardens

2012-12-13T08:42:00.002-08:00

If you've been on #Pinterest at all you might have noticed an increased popularity of terrariums, mini gardens, and fairy gardens. This whimsical hobby is fun for the whole family and the possibilities are endless. Here are a few I came up with:

Leprechaun Garden

Yoda's Bonsai

Candle Lantern Garden

Candle lantern's are not only good for candles they make great center pieces and even better terrariums.

Terrarium with battery operated LED lights.

(Close up)

#Stonehenge

Putting travel souvenir's to good use.

Top view.

I only wish I could get my hands on greener, smaller moss. Maybe I'll make my own. I found a recipe on... you guessed it Pinterest(there is beer involved-can't wait to try it).

12-12-12

2012-12-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

Since my last post we've been a little crazy dans la maison. Moving is never easy especially if you are sans a maison for an entire summer. Now that the chaos is behind me, I can get back to some unfinished projects. Here is the first:

(I was unable to find a photo of the original piece)

This bench was purchased in a little antique store in V.A.

I also worked on a little side table recently. Still debating on whether I should cover the side with little square mirror tiles.??

Bon nuit.

Carte Postale

2012-03-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday

I'm sharing my latest "junking" find. An album of old french post cards! I have to tell you these postcards are beautiful and bonus they have a story to tell about a mother who visits her sister in Paris. At least thats what I've made out so far. It's a little tough to read since the handwriting is so small.

What I do know is that correspondence is primarily between Paris and Chicago, Paris to New York, and Paris to Illinois. The postcards dates range from the 1920s-1923. I am looking forward to putting the timeline puzzle piece together, only about 95 cards to get through-easy day. Here are a few for you to enjoy.

Bon Nuit.

Tree Table

2012-01-31T18:25:00.000-08:00

Tree stump tables are not as easy as I had hoped. I somehow convinced myself that the bark would flake off with ease. Not so. This was quite labor intensive.

The bark was tough to pry off, it was as if it was glued on or something.

Not only do I have to muscle through this process I also have to be mindful not to leave scars in the stump which is extremely difficult.

Once the entire outer ring is removed its time to break out the trusty sander and get sanding. Depending on what look you are going for you will be sanding either sanding for a while or a long while.

Then it's time remove all debris and apply paint, stain, lacquer, or a simply clear poly.

I opted for a natural rustic look so I applied a clear fast drying poly.

Voila!

I did think of painting them...white maybe? Metallic silver? Hmm....

Well now that thats out of the way I guess I should get started on my post.

Hasta luego amigos.

Recycled Bottles

2012-01-30T19:22:00.000-08:00

I've had such an awesome response to my DIY Bottle lamps post (link here ) that I thought it only fitting to post another wine bottle idea. Here are some photo's of my wine bottle center piece.

Hoping to inspire you to recycle, reuse, and repurpose!

^Instagram photo^

This bottle will be recycled very soon. :)

Enjoy.

A Dandy Chandi

2011-12-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

The August Project

The after photo.

Here is the before photo.

I bought it for $25 at an antique store in Indiana.

(Can you believe the original purchase price was $125??)

I am so happy with the results, and ecstatic to find the the wiring was still in good shape something I didn't think of when purchasing the darn thing, thank goodness it all worked out.

Hope you enjoyed the before and after photo's.

Bon Nuit.

Linking: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/, http://katherinescorner.com/

Repurposed

2011-12-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

Watch this old cabinet door transform.

Take this old cabinet door. Clean it up, sand it down and spray paint it.

Rip up a few pages from your used book and lay them out so you have an idea of the number of pages you'll need.

Take your trusty modpodge out and do your thing. Allow the glue to dry completely. Once glue has dried apply a coat of clear poly, repeat if necessary.

Don't forget to add sctrach pads on the back of the door, you don't want to scratch up your furniture or have an uneven tray from the screws of the handles.

Now you can attached the handles.

Isn't she beautiful?

Sweet.

This would make an awesome Christmas gift.

Bonne Journee

Guest List

2011-12-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

(click to enlarge)

Grab the guest list because we are making place cards.

First I need to share my new art project find, "Nat Geo Art". I stumbled on this project on youtube and was so fascinated with the results I immediately ordered Citrasolv. A couple weeks later I stumbled on a pile of National Geographic Magazines from 1978 on a recent "junking" adventure with a girlfriend of mine. How lucky am I?

Ok-Here are the Why's...

-Why Nat Geo? From what I understand the magazines were made with a certain type of ink that reacts to the degreaser(which leads me to the next why).

Why Citrasolv? Apparently this reacts the best to the ink.

Why 1978? The magazine should be at least 10 years old or older I'm guessing it's because they(Nat Geo) no longer use this type of ink.

Here are the steps to create this beautiful abstract art paper.

1. Simply paint on a generous amount of the orange degreaser on all pages or pages you wish to alter.

2. Close the magazine pat down excess and leave it closed for 30mins.

3. Be ready to be amazed. Open the magazine rip out the pages and hang or lay them on a flat surface to dry.

**Note: this is very messy so be sure to protect your surface area**

Just look at the images... this makes me so happy.

So now you have a ton of this paper, what now? The first thing I made was place cards.

I mod podge(glued) the paper to plain white card stock for stability and since I still have a little chalk paint left over from my chalk board I went ahead and painted name boxes on each card.

I can erase if I spell someones name wrong or make last minutes changes.

**Note when painting on the chalk paint use a paint brush. It makes for a much smoother surface than something like a sponge brush**

Tada!

Linking: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/, http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

Sunset Dreams

2011-11-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

A room make-over for a special 12 year old girl. My daughter. This is her first big move. She has moved in the past, but she was too young to remember. This time she is the cool girl on campus and about to enter the 6th grade in a brand new state, and a brand new school. To say the move was tough on her would be an understatement.

What's a mother to do? Try and make her room a haven. So I asked her what theme she would like, and she replied, "I want a California room with a sunset". I told her to google a photo and I would try my very best to recreate it. Here is the actual photo.

Okay, I have my work cut out for me. Here goes nothing...

Prep.

More Prep.

The base of the sunset. At this point I am a little frustrated, because the paint is drying too fast. I need glaze quick.

Well...Here is the finished product. (Working on curtains of course)

Equipped with a CA license plate.

No, I'm not a professional and this isn't perfect but the room was a big hit for my little one and that's all that matter's to me. Now California is never too far away.

Outdoor Lighting

2011-11-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

Fancy outdoor lighting.

The side effects of drinking wine: empty wine bottles.

Do you repurpose your wine bottles?

Just in time

2011-11-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Paper Wreaths. A tutorial, just in time for the holidays. You can make one and change out the center for any occasion. The possibilities are endless.

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Alright lets get to it. First things first, cut out a circle (you can use cardboard, foam board, and even precut cake circles, just make sure you can punch a hole in it). The bigger the circle, the bigger the pages, the bigger the wreath.

Next, take your used-read ten times-now it's time to donate-or throw away book, and rip out the pages. You want a good amount of loose paper ready to go.

Now with the help of my assistant (whom apparently was painting-notice the dark mark on her hand) we fold. Grab ends of paper and bring them together.

One corner will be pulled into the cone, and should be slightly lower than the outer corner. Just like a pipping bag.

Make sure the edge of the inner corner is tucked under.

Avoid This

Tighten the cone if it is too loose or round. You'll need to be very careful not to crumple up the paper, you want a good handle on this but not a death grip.

You'll need one hand free for glueing, so hold it tight, but not too tight.

Once your desired cone shape has been achieved, it's time for hot glue. You can use stick glue, but I prefer using hot glue because it makes the process move along quickly. Just be careful not to burn your fingers.

Time for that cardboard circle you cut out earlier. Add a dab of glue in the center and start glueing the cones one by one.

About half way though, hole punch your circle, you can do this at the very beginning.

Tie a ribbon or string through it. Note; this will not be seen once the other cones are added, so it doesn't matter what color or material it is. (You can add ribbon to this to create a bow, etc...See my Halloween wreath)

First row is done.

This project is pretty forgiving, if you have any gaps when your done, glue them together.

Now it's time for the top row. This is a little more tricky, especially if you are using the same size cones because you start to run out of room in the center. If you run into this problem pinch the very ends to make room (remember the center will not be seen) this area will be covered.

Avoid This

Make sure all the points meet in the center and avoid simply overlapping, it is not cute. Only took 2 wreaths to get it down. I still get lazy sometimes and let some things slip through the cracks, hopefully you'll do better.

Most important thing is to keep the cone opening facing upward. Try not to let them turn to the side, also the top layer needs to be right below the bottom layer or you will not be able to see the bottom row.

This one will stay in my girlie craft room. :)

Holidays

Christmas

Everyday & custom wreaths.

Let me know if you try this. I would love to see how you do. Hope this helps, happy wreathing everyone.

Linking; http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/, http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://romantichome.blogspot.com/, http://todayscreativeblog.net/

Bedside

2011-10-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

I know what your thinking. Why on earth would I ever purchase these hideous looking things? I'll tell you why, because I am in desperate need of bedside tables. I have been without them for quite some time now, and I can no longer put them off. Moreover, these guys were a fraction of the price of some bedside tables I've seen thus far.

When I set out on my hunt for this particular item(s), I made myself a criteria's list which included; an identical pair(although I'm not a stickler on matching pieces-just felt they had to be for this), I preferred a square shape as opposed to a round one, I wanted legs, and finally, a drawer. Bingo! They had it all, so I loaded them into the car, brought them home and worked my magic.

There they are, all cleaned up, spray painted, and jeweled up.

I used a few, old, shower curtain hooks for the drawer pulls. I had to pull out the "hooks" with pliers for a smooth surface on the back, once the metal was off, I applied a little E600 glue and presto, not your ordinary knobs but these work very well. I also borrowed glass from the entertainment center in the living room and used them as glass tops.

I love the way they turned out, they make perfect bedside table's and I finally have a place for my gorgeous crystal lamps.

Linking; http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/, http://www.thegirlcreative.com/, http://todayscreativeblog.net/, http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/, http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Getting ready for Halloween

2011-10-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a few photo's of my Halloween wreath. Hope you enjoy.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Linking: http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/, http://www.skiptomylou.org/, http://www.thegirlcreative.com/, http://todayscreativeblog.net/, http://verymerryvintagestyle.blogspot.com/, http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

A long story, short.

2011-10-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Time for some bedside table lamps.

This was the perfect stop.

This place is filled to the gills with junkn' treasures.

There's stuff in the driveway.

In the backyard.

In the attic. There's even stuff in the house next door.

And then I spot them. I must have these. So we dance, bargain that is. No sooner than the deal was brokered, and before I could even get these beauties into my home, does a certain someone who will remain nameless, break one of the lamps. Tear. I hold back the anger-he must be testing my "zen". No worries, I convince myself it will be ok.

So I take her home and commence lamp surgery. First, taking both lamp's apart to thoroughly clean them, because they have been neglected for who know's how long. Then comes the crazy glue(this has to work because I'm not buying anymore lamp's).

Et voila. Problem solved. Smiling now. Especially since I will be putting this lamp on nameless persons' side of the bed(heh heh).

There she is. All dolled up with a brand new lamp shade and a new base color. The base is metal primed white for now, incase I want a metallic, or even a high gloss white finish later on.

Fin.

Linking: http://blog.innerchildcrochet.com/, http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/